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Music for Trainings/Professional Development

Below is an embedded Spotify playlist I use when I deliver professional development or trainings. It's a healthy mix of modern and classic songs that keep the energy high as you're setting up, taking a break, or giving work time for challenges.

Kid-Friendly Playlists for the Classroom

Music is one of my favorite ways to control the atmosphere of my classroom, make quick transitions, and manage student behaviors. Below are several Spotify playlists with an explanation of how each can be used. {Many of the songs on these playlists are suggestions from Brent Vasicek, via his article on Scholastic regarding classroom music playlists.}

Brain Breaks: Play these when students need a brain break. These are also great for having a little dance party whenever you need it most (Friday afternoons??). Web link.

Welcome Songs: Play these fast-paced, positive songs as students are entering your room in the morning. ​Web link.

Concentration Songs: Play these instrumental and hard-to-sing-along-to songs when students need to concentrate on their work but do best with a little background noise. ​Web link.

End of Day Songs: Play these songs near the end of the day to help students clean up and get ready to go home. ​Web link.

Inspirational Songs: These songs are perfect for social/emotional lessons or moments throughout the day, such as the prelude to a counseling lesson or whole-class affirmations. ​Web link.

Transitions: Play these songs when you're transitioning to a different activity. Web link.Here are the different transitions I included on this playlist:

Clean Up Signal (challenge students to finish cleaning before the song finishes!): Mission Impossible, William Tell Overture, or Axel F

ELA Signal: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Line Up Signal (challenge students to finish lining up before the song ends): I Walk the Line or Line Up

Lunch Signal: Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Math Signal: ​867-5309

Recess Signal: Who Let the Dogs Out

Restroom Break Signal (challenge students to be finished and back in the room before the song ends): Taking Care of Business

Science Signal: Weird Science or Bill Nye Theme Song

Snack Signal: My Favorite Snack

Social Studies Signal: America or Wonderful World

Working Songs: These are all recognizable tunes but put into a classical type of format (courtesy of Vitamin String Quartet). I love using these when students are working in basically any subject except ELA (I find that the recognizable tunes are more distracting than helpful during writing and reading). . ​Web link.

Resources

Obviously, I'm a Spotify fan :) but there are some other great resources regarding music in the classroom. Here are some of my favorites:

The Classroom DJ: This man has done a ton of work and research on this! In the beginning, it was just to help his wife (who's a teacher), but now he owns this website to help teachers everywhere!

Incompetech: Royalty-free music clips that you or your students can use in projects, presentations, transitions, and more.